For Richey by Nicky

(forgive any errors in transcription)

Manic Street Preachers Askew Road (b-side)

Askew Road
With charm of napalm
A second home
With love for you all
Askew Road
With bullet proof vows
Always facing hostility and doubts
You make your beds boys
And clear your heads boys
Leave your life behind
Reclaim it when you can
Like a deep loss
Already restored
Humane & deeply flawed

Askew Road
With cigarette burns
A second home
With love for you all
Askew Road
With bullet proof vows
Always facing hostility and doubts

You make your beds boys
And clear your heads boys
Leave your life behind
Reclaim it when you can
Like a deep loss
Already restored
Humane & deeply flawed

Richey: Most bands have got no respect for us at all which is fine because we didn't form a band to get respect from other musicians you know, that was never an important criteria to us. It's just tragic I think.

Askew Road a place in my heart
Forever hoping we'll all make our way back


The Manics haven't given any interviews stating these next two songs are about Richey but I think it's obvious especially for the emotion in James voice. Antarctic is almost an open letter to Richey. So if you're an old fan who long since wrote off the Manics and you've never heard these you must track them down. The remaining Manics are going through the same pain as you and these songs express it better than any press article ever could. They come from the heart.

Antarctic (Japanese Bonus Track from Lifeblood)

And the scars you wore are just mirrors for ourselves
Disfigured like a landscape through the heart of our lives
As our bodies fall apart
Left to the dust and bones
All we have is the fear we'll never carry you home

So hold all the reflections
Baby it won't hurt much
Where did the feeling go
It feels like the antarctic

You've made me see the stars
Holding onto mystery
Where the world has lost
I long for such a (breeze?)

As our bodies fall apart
Left to the dust and bones
All we have is the fear
We'll never carry you home

So hold all the reflections
Baby it won't hurt much
Where did the feeling go
It feels like the antarctic

Oh where did the feeling go

So hold all the reflections
Baby it won't hurt much
Where did the feeling go
It feels like the antarctic

The Soulmates (Japanese Bonus Track from Lifeblood)

The Soulmates
They last the distance
They make promises
They feel like misfits
The Soulmates
They need eachother
They're faithful warriors
They want for nothing

The grafitti
You left on me
Means every part is still bleeding
No souvenirs
No symphonies
No dead feelings
The Soulmates

The Soulmates
They take their place
They slip away
They're running safe

Oh the grafitti
You left on me
Means every part is still bleeding
Oh no souvenirs
No symphonies
No dead feelings
The Soulmates